Meet the star of FC Cincinnati's win against Louisville City FC

FC Cincinnati knocked rival Louisville City FC out of the U.S. Open Cup May 31 via a 1-0 win at the University of Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium.
The Enquirer/Patrick Brennan

Match official Brandon Artis, works the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup game between Louisville City FC and FC Cincinnati, Wednesday, May 31, 2017, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati.(Photo: The Enquirer/Kareem Elgazzar)

The most important person on the Nippert Stadium field during the latest installment of the bitter rivalry between Futbol Club Cincinnati and Louisville City FC wasn't a player, nor was it a coach.

It was referee Brandon Artis.

Artis and his crew of three officials presided over FC Cincinnati's 1-0 win over Louisville City FC Wednesday night at Nippert, and that wasn't an enviable task given the high stakes and the emotionally-charged climate.

The match was a reconvening of the running feud between the teams that originated from their April 22 match that produced 31 fouls, five yellow cards and an ejection.

Biting accusations and later a six-game suspension for Cincinnati striker Djiby Fall were both levied after that contest. There were material consequences for both teams in the fallout, too.

Louisville City midfielder Niall McCabe received medical treatment for a bite, the team said. FC Cincinnati dropped seven points in the standings and has been shutout twice in the absence of Djiby, its leading scorer.

Neither side let go of the feud. Both sides traded subtle verbal jabs in the intervening weeks. Some were playful, others were more revealing.

On top of it all, the winner of Wednesday's game would host Columbus Crew SC of the top-flight Major League Soccer in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – a coveted and highly valuable opportunity for two organizations that, to varying degrees, are positioning themselves for MLS expansion.

FC Cincinnati plays Louisville City FC May 31 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup third round. The two clubs share a heated rivalry that will be renewed in this non-league match at Nippert Stadium.
The Enquirer/Patrick Brennan

Enter Artis, an American, and his crew. They were in charge of weighing all the delicate details of the match and keeping things orderly.

For Artis and his colleagues, their work likely began long before kickoff, said U.S. Soccer Federation spokesman Neil Buethe in an email to The Enquirer.

"In general, officials are instructed early in their careers to keep track of a team’s problem players and, coaches," Buethe said. "They also do their homework by following media stories and checking the league websites to monitor accumulation of yellow and red cards in addition to suspensions. Game officials also talk to their colleagues on a regular basis to gather additional information on the teams they officiate."

Specifically regarding FC Cincinnati's and Louisville City's match, Buethe said the officials were likely "aware of the situation and importance of the game" because the officials were local.

How'd Artis and his crew do? By most accounts, they managed the game well.

"I was happy with the officials," FC Cincinnati head coach Alan Koch said. "I think it was a very, very difficult game for the officials to manage tonight. I certainly don't think they got every decision right, but it's unrealistic to expect the officials to get every decision right."

FC Cincinnati head coach Alan Koch talks to the linesman in the first half during the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup game between Louisville City FC and FC Cincinnati Wednesday at Nippert Stadium.(Photo: The Enquirer/Kareem Elgazzar)

Twenty-two fouls were called in the game. Of those, Artis and his crew determined 15 fouls were committed by FC Cincinnati.

Six yellow cards were awarded, with each team receiving three apiece.

Djiby again took center stage in a number of the game's critical refereeing decisions.

He was warned early in the match by Artis after two hard fouls and promptly received a yellow card in the 38th minute for his third offense.

When McCabe appeared to be lobbying hard late in the second half for Djiby to receive another card and an ejection, Artis and his crew were able to sift through the wreckage of a multi-player collision and determine Djiby wasn't at fault.

Video replays of the play in question – two Louisville field players collided with their goalkeeper, Greg Ranjitsingh – supported the ruling Djiby wasn't materially involved.

And when Djiby scored in the 49th minute and milked the celebration, Artis swept the gloating Djiby back to the FC Cincinnati side of the field so play could resume.

"There was an element of the game – obviously, we all know what's happened with Djiby and them," Koch said, "and they were obviously trying to do something to agitate him. They were trying to do something to get the ref to react in a certain way. I have a lot of respect for the referee coming into an environment like this tonight and managing it."

The fourth official standing between the two benches had his hands full, too, as the head coaches of the clubs exchanged verbal barbs mid-game.

Koch appeared to argue with members of the Louisville coaching staff following the final whistle. Koch's arm also appeared to be jerked back during his handshake with Louisville head coach James O'Connor.

Those incidents could end up in the Artis' final match report, but both coaches downplayed the unpleasant moments afterward.

"It's important for officials, wherever possible (and) provided both teams are playing within the rules of the game, to keep 11 players... on the pitch, and he (Artis) did that tonight, so fair play to the referee and his assistants."